The Animated Activity Questionnaire: Validation of an innovative method for assessing activity limitations in patients with osteoarthritis

Turid Høysveen, MSc., Avdeling for Helsefag, Universitetet i Oslo. Manuellterapeut Ullernklinikken Manuell terapi og rehabilitering. th@ullernklinikken.no.

Nina Østeraas, PhD., Avdeling for Helsefag, Universitetet i Oslo og Nasjonal Kompetansetjeneste for Revmatologisk Rehabilitering, Diakonhjemmet Sykehus.

Anne Therese Tveter, MSc., Avdeling for Helsefag, Universitetet i Oslo.

Tuva Moseng, MSc., Avdeling for Helsefag, Universitetet i Oslo.

Wilfred Peter, MSc., Avdeling for Helsefag, Universitetet i Oslo. Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics and the EMGO Institute for Health and Care research, VU University Medical Center Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Amsterdam Rehabilitation Research Center, Reade, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

Caroline Terwee, PhD., Avdeling for Helsefag, Universitetet i Oslo. Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics and the EMGO Institute for Health and Care research, VU University Medical Center Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

Hanne Dagfinrud, PhD., Avdeling for Helsefag, Universitetet i Oslo og Nasjonal Kompetansetjeneste for Revmatologisk Rehabilitering, Diakonhjemmet Sykehus.

Abstract

The development of the Animated Activity Questionnaire is a European project including Denmark, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, England and Norway. This paper is based on data from the Norwegian part.

Objective: To test a computer-animated Questionnaire (AAQ), an innovative method for assessing function in patients with hip and/or knee osteoarthritis (OA). The new method is compared with established methods for measuring function.

Design: The study is a European collaborative project and has a cross-sectional design. The Norwegian part is implemented as part of the research program FYSIOPRIM.

Material and methods: Patients with hip and/or knee OA and relatives were recruited from four physiotherapy clinics. Patients answered questionnaires (HOOS/KOOS ADL and AAQ) and completed performance tests. Relatives rated patient’s function using the AAQ. Five a priori hypotheses were defined for validation of AAQ (construct validity).

Results: 60 patients with hip and/or knee OA and 29 relatives participated. The correlation between AAQ scores for patients and relatives was very strong (r = .80). Patients AAQ-scores correlated strong/very strong with both H/KOOS ADL (r = .74, p < .001) and with performance tests (r = - .63 to - .66, p < .001). The correlation between pain and AAQ was weaker than between pain and H/KOOS ADL, but stronger than between pain and performance tests.

Conclusion: Four out of five hypotheses were met, and it is concluded that AAQ is comparable with established methods of function in patients with hip and/or knee OA (construct validity). The standardized and readily available data-animated tool AAQ may be suitable for use in clinical physiotherapy practice.

Keywords: functional assessment, osteoarthritis, computer-animated.

The full version in Norwegian.